Archive for 'Villa Reviews'

Rental Date: Saturday 11th of July 2009.

Renter: Pallavi D. (King's Lynn, Norfolk, United Kingdom).

Renter Rating: 5/5.

Location was superb- the views were breath taking; the villa itself was spacious and comfortable, the furnishing were lovely, but the interior was a bit dark. Pool was ideal for children and the tennis courts were on site and well maintained. A car is highly recommended.

Please visit Villa Lisidor for more details about this accommodation. Visit this page for other villas in Lecchi, Tuscany, Italy.

Rental Date: Saturday 11th of July 2009.

Renter: Christina B. (Naerum, Denmark, Denmark).

Renter Rating: 5/5.

Wonderful, well-kept and tastefully decorated villa in beautiful surroundings. Great kitchen and pool area.
We found it just perfect being situated in the out-skirts of a small village, close to Cortona, but yet with great views in every direction and only distant traffic noise that didn't bother at all.
We can easily recommend the villa, and would definetly concider renting the same villa again some time.

Please visit Gigliola for more details about this accommodation. Visit this page for other villas in Cortona, Tuscany, Italy.

Rental Date: Saturday 11th of July 2009.

Renter: Margherita F. (Bend, OR, United States).

Renter Rating: 5/5.

Welcome to paradise !!
The property has stunning views, the house is magnificent, the pool area is beautifully done, all the people involved from easy reserve, Bruna the cook, maid service and the owners themselves have been of great help in making our stay at Villa Casanuova a memorable one.
Beside the beauty of the property, you'll be only few minutes drive from Montalcino (charming to say the least and best pizza EVER!), wineries where you'll taste the BEST Brunello di Montalcino and run by people who truly have pride in what they do and will be happy to share with you the secrets of wine making.
Do not hesitate : you MUST have it for your vacation!

Please visit Villa Casanuova for more details about this accommodation. Visit this page for other villas in Castelnuovo Dell'abate, Tuscany, Italy.

Rental Date: Monday 6th of July 2009.

Renter: David W. (St Albans, Herts, United Kingdom).

Renter Rating: 5/5.

Fabulous, secluded and idyllic place. Our villa, Mimosa, was ideal for family of 5, smallish living room area but, hey, we were outside on the terrace all the time so didn't actually use it. Fantastic swimming pool, but the best part of this property is the terrace that goes around all the properties. with nicely dilapidated deck chairs and a view to die for. Sitting there, glass of local chianti in hand, looking at the vineyards hanging with grapes, you could have stayed for ever. Looks a bit like a road but cars are not able to get around to it. Which means you have to lug your bags round. Top bedroom in Mimosa was great fun for our 7 and 11 year old girls, accessed via a spiral staircase, but quite exposed and not suitable for young children, as the website points out. Do I have any criticisms, not really: no local shops, not quite enough cutlery, but small points. Overall five stars. Within easy driving distance of great Tuscan sites, 40 mins to Florence, close to Sienna, San Gimignano, and Monteriggioni (definitely worth a visit). I haven't posted any photos, you will just have to go yourself to find out how chilled this place is.

Please visit La Valle A Polvereto: Mimosa for more details about this accommodation. Visit this page for other villas in Montespertoli, Tuscany, Italy.

Rental Date: Saturday 4th of July 2009.

Renter: Lucian C. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).

Renter Rating: 4/5.

Very nice, secure property on the outskirts of Florence (in Scandicci), within 15 minutes driving to parking close to Florence attractions, 10 minutes to highways, and 10 minutes to a supermarket (COOP).
I found the instructions in finding the vila helpful if you also use Googgle Maps. The owners are nice and are very accomodating; their son has a good command of English that was a great help as our Italian comprises of only two words: gelato and vino. The property is a small, 1 bedroom house located in an olive orchard; it has a kitchen that has everything you need if you want to cook. There is a nice private patio where you can enjoy your evening (or morning) glass of Chianti. There is a satelite TV with a DVD. We did not use the Internet connection so I cannot comment. I am not sure what the expectations are for these type of accomodations in Europe but the following North American expectations where not met: no soap and toilet paper in the bathroom, no salt, sugar, coffee or tea bags in the kitchen - which can be quite an inconvenience if you arrive late in the evening. Don't rent a big car, the road to the house is very narrow - as almost all roads inside the old cities in Italy. Summers are very hot and humid in Tuscany and if you like air conditioning then this rustic acommodation is not for you. There was a fan that we used during the night to cool off, however for us, Canadians it was way too hot. But that was part of the adventure and we did not let it spoil our stay. Mosquitos were omnipresent and you cannot really keep them out of the house as you have to keep the windows open to have the air circulate to cool the rooms. Not sure why the windows are not equipped with insect screens as any home in North America is. We stayed in 3 hotels in Italy and none of them had them either - found that very strange as the screens could be an easy fix for the mosquito problem. There was a mold like smell when we arrived which we tracked down to a bed cover and the carpet which we removed and sealed in a plastic bag. With the high humidity during summer and no ventilation there is no wonder that things start to exhibit their smelly personality. Overall was a good experience and I would stay there again next summer if there would be an air conditioning unit. Good luck!

Please visit Florence 798 for more details about this accommodation. Visit this page for other villas in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.